Fandor streaming review 2020: Product, price and features

Thousands of award-winning underground films from moviemakers around the world.

For $5.99 a month, explore the depths of this collection of foreign films, documentaries and classics dating back to the early 1900s. While the selection of movies is mighty, customers complain about the selection of movies and a difficult interface.

Cons

Broken links. Fandor’s website has more than a few broken links, its highlight page and support page for starters.

Limited streaming. A subscription only lets you stream from 1 device at a time.

Tricky cancellation. Google Play Fandor subscribers have complained about unclear cancelation policies and that its customer support team is less than helpful.

What features does Fandor offer?

Fandor offers standard features similar to Netflix or Hulu including a watch list to save movies for later, trailers and title descriptions. But what’s unique about Fandor is that a portion of your subscription fees circles back to the filmmakers and distributors.

Support filmmakers

As part of its 50% revenue share, half of what you pay for your subscription goes back to indie filmmakers and lesser-known film distributors like Cinema Guild, Flicker Alley and Criterion Collection.

Movie lists

Members of the Fandor community, employees and filmmakers themselves curate collections of movies for other viewers.

Member reviews

There’s a community sharing opinions and leaving star ratings on movies. You can take part in the action after creating your Fandor profile.

HD tags

An orange HD ribbon attached to videos in high definition makes it easy to distinguish the video quality.

Cast

Using the same Internet connection for both your Chromecast and mobile device, watch movies on a larger screen by casting. You can even cast from your phone and hop between apps without affecting the movie casting onto the TV.

What devices are compatible with Fandor?

Whether you link your subscription to your Apple TV or use your Chromecast device to cast content onto a larger screen, Fandor is compatible with a fair range of devices. However, it’s not compatible with any gaming devices.

Smart TV devices:

Apple TV

Mobile devices:

iOS (iPhones and iPads)

Android (phones and tablets)

Other devices:

Roku

Chromecast

Amazon Kindle

Desktop

How much does Fandor cost?

Fandor offers both a $5.99a month and $49.99 annual subscription — saving you $22. Both subscriptions offer the same access to its streaming library of more than 4,000 movies and the Fandor blog.

Free trial

A 14-day free trial is offered to anyone who signs up.

What can I watch with Fandor?

Fandor offers more than 10 foreign film categories as well as 15 genres and subgenres of documentaries and indie movies including horror, silent and animated. Titles are categorized by genre and language or located in one of the many collections: new arrivals, spotlight, staff picks, festivals and generally range from one-minute flicks to full-length films.

Some of the most talked-about movies on Fandor — the ones with the most review interaction between community members — comprise the list below. This list changes monthly, but new movies are added every day.

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Frequently asked questions

In addition to partnering with festivals, educators and distributors, it has a film submission process where filmmakers can submit a screening of their movie at no cost to them.

Yes. According to former Fandor subscribers on Reddit, the two streaming services contain 75% of the same indie movie titles. The key difference is Fandor is open to anyone who wants to purchase a subscription, including students and educators at a discounted price. Kanopy requires you to prove you’re a student.

From what we’ve seen in various trailers we’ve watched, subtitles are embedded in the videos rather than offered as a toggle feature.

Expert review

Alex Shea is a tech and telco writer for Finder, helping readers to break down the details of streaming TV, gaming, sports and more. A storyteller through and through, Alex’s work is published in Allbodies and Obsev Studios. She’s also the author of I Don’t Know Yet, a book of poetry and prose. She’s completing her degree in environmental science and traveling every chance she gets.

Expert Review

Review by

Alex Shea

Unless you’re really immersed in this world and can recognize a film distributor or director, it’s unlikely you’ll recognize many titles on Fandor. But you can still explore, maybe read a review here and there or watch a trailer to give you a clearer preview.

It’s a pretty good deal at $5.99per month, but It’s still not a real rival to Netflix or Hulu with a nontraditional and underground selection of movies as opposed to the latest mainstream releases.

Expert review

Unless you’re really immersed in this world and can recognize a film distributor or director, it’s unlikely you’ll recognize many titles on Fandor. But you can still explore, maybe read a review here and there or watch a trailer to give you a clearer preview.

It’s a pretty good deal at $5.99per month, but It’s still not a real rival to Netflix or Hulu with a nontraditional and underground selection of movies as opposed to the latest mainstream releases.

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